oakyal

Van Johnson and Esther Williams at their loveliest. Wonderful music throughout. A delightful picture for anyone who has ever been or hopes to be in love.

We have beautiful Esther Williams swimming and diving. We have Van Johnson sincere and radiant. We have Melchior in fine classical voice, Tommy Dorsey playing Grieg on the trombone (!) along with other classic Dorsey hits. And a couple of new songs. The movie mostly takes place in a resort with Olympic swimming pool and a sound-stage with a view over Yosemite Valley.

It's all very light, but let yourself be carried away, and it will steal your heart.

Caught this movie on plane from Paris to U.S., perhaps not the best time to judge a movie. But, I thoroughly enjoyed the rather offbeat premise. Far from finding the movie predictable, I was constantly surprised by the direction of the plot and the development of the characters, all of whom I cared for deeply by the end of the movie. The setting, in the Atlas Mountains, is stunning.